She could see the edge of the dog park as she walked. It was midmorning, so not at all crowded. As she got closer, she could see two golden retrievers in the large dog section. Then she rounded a corner, and there was the little dog section. There was Sprinkles, running around with a black dog about his size.
And there, on a bench, watching her approach, sat Sabrina.
Adley’s heart felt like it did a complete somersault in her chest, and she had to stop for a second and force it to calm down. And in that second, all the anger and hurt and confusion vanished. Just evaporated because there was Sabrina, an uncertain smile on her face, and Jesus Christ on a barstool, had she ever looked more beautiful? Simple jeans and a black T-shirt, Converse on her feet, she looked casual, comfortable, and gorgeous. Adley pulled herself together and kept walking until she reached the entry gate and slipped in.
Sprinkles saw her then and sprinted to her like he’d been launched from a slingshot. Suddenly, he was jumping at her legs and bark-squealing with happiness, and honest to God, Adley had never been happier to see a living thing than she was in that moment to see Sprinkles. She squatted down and gave him all the love and hugs and kisses he needed, telling him how much she’d missed him and asking him if he’d been a good boy. Finally, after much, much love, he decided it was time to resume his game of chase with the black dog, which Adley now saw was a poodle. They took off at full speed, and she watched for a moment while she worked up her nerve. After a long moment, she turned to the bench where Sabrina sat, still watching her.
Here we go.
As she approached, Sabrina stood, and Adley was reminded of all that beauty and fire that was crammed into a small body. Determined not to let the tornado of emotions that was in her heart and head show on her face, she made sure her expression was neutral.
“Adley,” Sabrina said. And was there relief in her voice? “It’s so good to see you.” She made a move but stopped herself quickly, and Adley wondered if she’d been about to hug her but thought better of it.
“Hi,” Adley said and took a seat on the bench without waiting. She heard Sabrina exhale as she sat next to her. “Sprinkles has gotten so big,” she said before she could stop herself.
“He’s a good boy,” Sabrina said. “A really good dog. I got lucky with him.”
Silence reigned for what felt like a ridiculously long period of time until Adley thought she might explode. “What’s this about?” she finally asked. “What are you doing here?” And she actually looked at Sabrina for the first time since they’d sat. Her blond hair was loose, the gentle breeze lifting strands up and blowing them away from her face. She noticed something she hadn’t at first—Sabrina had lost a little weight, it seemed, her face thinner, her cheeks a bit hollow. Slight half-circles of shadow underlined her eyes. She was still achingly beautiful, but it was clear to Adley that she’d been battling something. “Are you sick?” she blurted before she could stop herself, and she wondered if the fear in her voice was as obvious to Sabrina as it was to her.
Sabrina turned to her in surprise. “Am I…what?” And then it seemed to hit her, to become clear, and she smiled sadly. “No. No, I’m not sick. I’ve just…had a lot on my mind these past months.”
“Oh. Well. That’s good.” Adley cleared her throat. “That you’re not sick, I mean.”
“Yeah.” Sabrina gave a soft chuckle. “So…I’m actually here because I have a proposition for you.”
Of all the things Adley thought Sabrina might have said to her in this moment, that was not even close to the top of the list. She frowned. “A proposition? What does that even mean?”
Sprinkles zipped up to them then, jumped right onto the bench, pink tongue lolling as he panted and hopped into Sabrina’s lap. “Are you checking in?” Sabrina asked him with a laugh, and Adley found herself immersed in simply watching the two of them, their bond clear. Sabrina grabbed his head in both hands and kissed the top of it—three loud smacks—and he jumped off and was back to running with the poodle. Adley realized then that another woman sat across the park on her own bench. The poodle’s mom, must be.
“Yes. So.” Sabrina cleared her throat and clasped her hands together, and it occurred to Adley then that she was nervous. “I want to hire you.”
Adley blinked at her, wondering if she’d heard her right. “I’m sorry?”
“I want to hire you.”
Adley swallowed and tried to choose her words carefully, to keep her voice steady. “Sweet Heaven put me out of business. What the hell makes you think I want to work for them?”
Sabrina met her gaze then. “I don’t work for Sweet Heaven any longer.”
“I’m…” Adley narrowed her eyes, her thoughts jumbled. “Wait, what?”
Sabrina inhaled slowly and took her time letting it out. It was clear she was gathering her thoughts, maybe trying to figure out how to say what she wanted to say. Adley waited her out because what the hell? What was she talking about?
“I’ve made some changes since I left Northwood last year.” She cleared her throat again and adjusted her posture so she was sitting up straighter. Adley watched with interest. “I left my job. I bought some property. I moved.”
“You moved?”
Sabrina nodded. “Yeah. When I was back in Atlanta for a couple weeks, I felt restless. Like I couldn’t relax. I had no idea why at first, but then I realized that the most relaxed I’ve ever been, the most content I’ve ever been in my entire life, was here.”
Adley watched her, unsure what to say or where this was going.
“I tried to ignore it. I figured I just needed time to settle back into being home. And I waited for months. Six, to be exact. And I still felt restless.” She rubbed her hands on her thighs, smoothing them over the denim of her jeans. “I talked to my dad about it. Then my mother, who happens to be the CEO of Sweet Heaven. Then my best friend. Then I sat on it all for another month.” She took a deep breath. “And then I called my Realtor friend and asked him to keep an eye out for me in a handful of cities I love.”
Adley had no idea where this was going, but she was riveted now, so she waited for the rest of the story. Sabrina’s voice had gotten softer and softer as she spoke, and now, it was just above a whisper.
“Two months ago, he texted me with some possibilities, and one of them was right here in Northwood.”
Adley’s whisper matched Sabrina’s. “Possibilities for what?”
